Written By: Upneet Pansare | Published : August 24, 2018 8:20 AM IST
Weight loss, caffeine and sleep are closely linked to one other. That's why it is very important that you keep a close watch on your sleep and caffeine intake especially if you are trying to lose weight. According to celeb nutritionist Rujuta Diwekar, you must never have coffee/ chai after 3-4 pm. According to a research by the University of Barcelona, it takes about 45 minutes for caffeine to affect your body fully. It takes about that much time to be absorbed into the cell membranes. The effect of caffeine is likely to last for about 6 hours.
A study undertaken by Sleep Disorders & Research Center, Henry Ford Hospital, Detroit and the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State College of Medicine, Detroit, found that 'caffeine taken 6 hours before bedtime has important disruptive effects on sleep.' The researchers suggested refraining from 'substantial caffeine use for a minimum of 6 hours prior to bedtime.' The caffeine takes some time to completely flush out from the system and hence its effects can be seen even after 6 hours. This is why 3 or 4 pm should be the cut off time for your last cup of coffee or chai.
Energy drinks are hidden sources of caffeine. It's common to come across young working professionals and even teenagers chug cans of popular energy drinks to get a caffeine kick. "These energy drinks disrupt bone mineral density and hormonal health and hence they are best avoided," Rujuta says. A research published in Frontiers in Public Health states that high sugar and caffeine levels in energy drinks can lead to problems such as substance misuse and aggression, mental health problems in the form of anxiety and stress, high blood pressure, obesity, kidney damage, fatigue, stomachaches and irritation.
Besides these, painkillers, weight loss pills, decaf coffees, green teas and chocolates are the other unknown sources of caffeine and can stall your weight loss efforts by disrupting natural sleep pattern.
Lack of sleep and weight gain
Caffeine can not only keep you awake and lead to insufficient sleep, this can also cause weight gain. A study says that losing as little as 30 minutes of sleep daily can cause weight gain and may promote the onset of Type 2 diabetes. This clearly shows that short sleep duration can have significant effects on obesity and insulin resistance. So if you're one of those who believe in gulping down cups of caffeine, you are directly at risk of becoming obese and inviting a host of other health problems.
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